Grinding machine



G. F. JOHNSON GRINDING MACHINE Jan. 13, 1,948.

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www. ANAL Patented Jan, 13, 1948 2,434,245 GRDIDING Mricriims Glen F. Johnson, Detroit, Mich., assignor to Bower Roller Bearing Company, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application February 16, 1946, Serial No. 648,050

Claims.

This invention relates to grinding machines, and in particular, to machines and methods for grinding curved surfaces on the ends of elongated articles.

One object of this invention is to provide an improved machine for grinding curved surfaces upon the ends of elongated articles, such as antifriction bearing rollers, by automatic mass production methods in an eiilcient and accurate manner.

Another object is to provide an improved machine for grinding curved surfaces upon the ends of tapered elongated articles, such as tapered anti-friction bearing rollers wherein the rollers are rotated around their axes while being simultaneously rotated in a circular path, a portion of which brings their ends into engagement with a suitably curved grinding wheel.

Another object is to provide a machine for grinding curved surfaces on the ends of tapered elongated articles, as set forth in the preceding objects, wherein the articles are held in a rotating holder while rotated by a more rapidly rotating driving wheel as they travel in a circular path during which they engage the grinding wheel.

Another object is to provide a machine for grinding curved surfaces on the ends of tapered elongated articles, as set forth in the preceding objects, wherein the articles are held in recesses in a rotating circular holder while they are engaged on one side by a yieldable resilient pressure wheel and on the other side by a more rapidly rotating driving wheel, this action causing the articles to be held rmly against the leading edge oi the holder recess as the article is brought into engagement with the grinding wheel while at the same time the resilience of the pressure Wheel automatically accommodates the machine to grinding the ends of the articles properly, regardless of variations in their diameters arising during manufacture.

Another object is toprovide a machine for grinding curved surfaces on the ends of tapered elongated articles, as set forth in the object immediately preceding, wherein the driving wheel has a tapered surface on the side of the rim for engaging the tapered surface of the article and at the same time urging it against a yielding pressure `wheel also having a tapered surface, whereby the article is caused to be moved radially outward as it is rotated bodily through a circular path, thereby bringing its end properly into engagement with the grinding wheel.

Another object is to provide a machine for grinding curved surfaces on the ends of tapered elongated articles as set forth in the preceding objects, wherein the articles are held in recesses in a rotating circular holder while they are engaged on one side by a yieldable pressure wheel and on the other side by a more rapidly rotating driving wheel, the ar'is of the pressure wheel being tilted relatively to the axis of the driving Wheel such that the space between them is wider on the side opposite the grinding wheel and narcausing the articles to be gripped more tightly while they are beingv ground.

Another object is to provide a modied machine as set forth in the preceding objects wherein the driving wheel and pressure wheel are both positively driven at slightly different speeds in opposite directions and the circular article holder is mounted for free rotation between them, the speed difference between the two wheels not only causing the article to be urged toward the for= ward end of the holder recess but also to cause the holder itself to be rotated toward the grinding wheel.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following description of the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a preferred embodiment of a grinding machine, according to the present invention, partly broken away to disclose the gearing for the roller driving wheel;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the grinding machine shown in Figure 1, also partly broken away to disclose the internal construction more clearly;

Figure 3 is a vertical cross-section through the grinding machine shown in Figures 1 and 2, taken along the line 3-3 in Figure 2 and showing4 the roller holder, the driving wheel and the pressure wheel with their associated mechanisms;

Figure 4 is a vertical cross-section along the line 4--4 in Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a vertical cross-section along the line 5-5 in Figure 2, showing the grinding wheel truing mechanism;

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal section along the line 6 6 in Figure 2, showing the roller being driven by the driving wheel while urged against the pressure wheel and held in the holder;

Figure 7 is a vertical cross-section along the line '1 -J in Figure 1, showing the gearing nterconnecting the roller holder and drivingvwheel;

Figure 8 is a developed horizontal section through the gearing shown in Figure '1, showing the gearing in sequence;

Figure 9 is a fragmentary top plan view of the roller holder, driving wheel and pressure wheel, showing the slightly tilted axis of the pressure wheel relatively to the-driving wheel and holder;

Figure 10 is a vertical cross-section along the line Ill-I in Figure 3 with the pressure wheel partly broken away to show the positions of the rollers in the roller holder from the time they enter the latter, are rotated through the grinding position and are discharged as finished work pieces; Y

Figure 11 is an enlarged fragmentary top plan view of portions of the roller holder, driving wheel and pressure wheel, showing the manner in which the rollers are held against the leading edge of the roller recesses in the roller holder;

Figure 12 is an oblique section along the line I2-I2 in Figure 2, showing the action of the upper guide plate in relation to the roller holder, driving wheel and pressure wheel;

Figure 13 is a side elevation of a roller prior to grinding a curved surface upon the end thereof;

Figure 14 is a side elevation of a roller after a curved surface is ground upon the end thereof, according to the present invention:

Figure 15 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a modified roller holding and driving unit, wherein the driving wheel and pressure wheel are both positively driven and the roller holder is mounted for free rotation between them;

Figure 16 is a horizontal section along the line I6-I6 in Figure 15;

Figure 17 is a fragmentary vertical section along the line I1I 1 in Figure 16; and

Figure 18 is a view similar to Figure 11, but showing the driving arrangement in the modiication of Figure 15.

General arrangement In general. the grinding machine of this invention consists of -a rotary roller holder (Figures 3, 9 and 10) having peripheral radial recesses into which the rollers are dropped one by one from a suitable feeding apparatus forming no part of the present invention. The roller holder is driven so as to rotate and carry the rollers in an arcuate path past the periphery of a suitably curved grinding wheel which imparts the curved surface to the end thereof.

As the rollers are carried in this arcuate path, they are driven by a driving vwheel having an annular lateral peripheral surface, the rotary holder and driving wheel being preferably interconnected by gearing whereby the driving wheel. is rotated at a much more rapid rate than the holder. The rollers, while in the roller holder, are engaged by a pressure wheel which urges them into engagement with the driving wheel on the opposite side thereof and insures a driving connection to the rollers.

The driving wheel and pressure wheel are provided with suitably tapered lateral peripheral surfaces corresponding to the taper of the rollers, and their cooperative action causes the rollers to be forcedv outwardly from the time the roller is dropped into the recess from the feeding apparatus until they engage an arcuate upper guide immediately prior to their reaching the grinding wheel. The more rapid rotation of the driving wheel relatively to the rotary holder also causes the rollers to be held against the leading edge of the roller recess (Figure while this action is occurring. The axis of the pressure wheel is tilted slightly relatively to the common Iaxis of rotation of the rotary holder and driving wheel, so as to more forcibly urge the rollers to travel radially outward in their recesses as they progress from the feeding :station to the grinding station, and at the same time to provide a ouillciently large gap between the pressure wheel and driving wheel to receive the rollers from the feeding apparatus.

As the rollers leave the grinding station after their ends are rounded by the grinding wheel, they engage a lower arcuate guide, which holds them in the holder recesses until they reach the discharging station, where they drop out of the recesses and pass downward into a suitable receptacle.

Throughout the several views, the various shafts are shown as journalled in plain bearings, for clearness and simplicity of showing. In the machine as actually built, anti-friction bearings arepreferably used because of their greater a'ccuracy and long life.

Grinding unitl 4ing of a bed I0 upon which is mounted a roller feeding unit II (the lower portion only of which is shown), a roller holding and driving unit I2, a. grinding unit I3 and a grinding wheel truing unit I4. The bed I0 is mounted upon any suitable sub-structure (not shown and forming no part of the present invention):

The grinding unit I3 is mounted upon and carried by a carriage or slide I5 reciprocably supported on ribs I6 (Figure 5) rising from the bed I0 and provided with longitudinal T-slots I1 which receive the heads and shanks of clamping bolts I3, the Shanks of which pass through bores I9 in the carriage I5. The upper ends of the clamping bolts I8 are threaded to receive the clamping nuts 20 having handles 2l for tightening or loosening the same. The edge of the base I0 is provided with a peripheral lip 22 to which is secured an upstanding bracket 23 (Figures 1 and 2) as by the screws 24. The bracket 23 is provided with a bore 25 in which is journaled the reduced diameter end of a screw shaft 26 having a hand wheel 21 secured thereto as at 28, a spacing member 29 being interposed between the hand wheel 21 and the bracket 23, Y

The screw shaft 26 is threaded as at 30 to engage a nut 3| bolted as at 32 to the underside of the carriage I5 (Figures 2 and 5). By this means, when the clamping nuts 20 are loosened by turning the handles 2 I, the rotation of the hand wheel 21 causes the carriage I5 to be reciprocated to and fro along the T-slots I1, the ribs I6 having upper guide surfaces 33 (Figure 5) cooperating with the corresponding machined guide surfaces34 on the underside 35 of the carriage I5. This action moves the grinding unit I3 toward and away from the roller holding and driving unit I2 (Figure 2). When the carriage I5 has been suitably positioned in this manner, the clamping nuts 20 are tightened by turning the handles 2|, locking the carriage I5 and grinding unit I3 in their adjusted positions.

Rising from and forming a part of the carriage I5 is a box-like housing 36 having an aperture 31 (Figure 2) through which the truing unit I4 operates. The housing 36 has a top wall 38 from which rises a hollow cylindrical boss 39 having an internal bore 40 (Figure 2) Bolted to the up ally from the boss 39 (Figure 1).

per and lower ends of the boss 39, as at 4| and 42, are end plates 43 and 44 having central bores 45 and 46 respectively. Journaled in the bores 45 and 46 is a shaft 41, here shown for purposes of simplicity, as provided with plain bearings. In the actual machine, however, anti-friction bearings, such as tapered roller bearings and suitable anti-thrust Abearings are provided for rotatably supporting the shaft 41 in the end plates 43 and 44. Thelower end of the shaft 41 is provided with a taper 48 adapted toreceive the internally tapered hub 49 (Figure 2) of a grinding wheel holder 50 having a stepped annular recess 5| in the periphery thereof for receiving the correspondingly stepped portion 52 adjacent the bore 63 in a grinding wheel 54. The latter is provided with a suitably curved peripheral surface 55, the curvature thereof being initially determined and afterward maintained by the truing unit I4.

The grinding wheel 54 is held in the hub recess 5| by an annular face plate 56having a stepped annular recess 51 similar to the opposing annular recess 5|, the face plate 56 being bolted to the hub 49 by the screws 58 (Figure 2). A nut 59 is threaded upon the reduced diameter threaded portion 60 and holds the hub 49 upon the taper 48 upon the lower end of the shaft 41.

Mounted upon the upper end of the shaft 41 is a pulley 5| carrying an endless belt 62 which encircles a pulley 63 mounted upon the motor shaft 64 of a vertical motor 65. Themotor 65 is provided with a base plate 66 (Figure 1) which is bolted as at 61 to a swinging plate 58. The latter is provided at one end with ears 69 engaging pivot pins mounted in arms 1I projecting horizontally from the boss 39. The Opposite end 0f the swinging plate 68 is provided with a yoke portion 12 through which is threaded a pivot bolt 13 pivotally engaged by the eye of an adjusting bolt 14 (Figure 2) the outer threaded end 15 of which passes through an arm 16 projecting radi- Lock nuts 11 threaded upon the threaded end of the bolt 14 serve to hold the latter in a locked position relatively to the arm 16. When one of the nuts 11 is loosened and the other is rotated, the bolt I4 is moved inward or outward relatively to the arm 16, thereby tightening or loosening the endless belt 62. In this manner, the motor 65 which is energized from a suitable electric power line (not shown), drives the grinding Wheel 54 and causes its curved periphery 55 to rotate at the desired peripheral speed suitable for the grinding operation to be performed upon the ends of the rollers.

Grinding wheel truing unit The grinding wheel truing unit I4 is mounted upon the guide ribs 80 integral with the carriage .I5 and rising from the upper surface 8| thereof (Figure 5). Bolted as at 82 to the upper surfaces 83 of the 'guide ribs 80 are the bevelled elongated guide members 84 engaging a dove-tail slide 85, the lower surface 86 of which is machined accurately to reciprocate to and fro upon the upper machined surface 83 of the guide ribs 80. The slide 85 is provided with upstanding arms 81 bored transversely as at 88 (Figure 5) to receive a pivot pin 89. Pivotally mounted upon the pivot pin 89 is a rocking head 90 bored transversely as at 9| to receive the pivot pin 89. The head 90 is provided lwith-a handle 92 by which it may be rocked aroiidjthe pivot pin 89.

The head-i90 is provided with a longitudinal bore 93 which receives a shaft 94. The latter is provided with a longitudinal keyway 95 engaged the shank of a truing tool |00 (Figure 2), the latter being held in position by a set screw |0|`. By loosening the set screw 95 and moving the shaft 94 in or out, the tip of the truing tool |00, which is preferably diamond-tipped, may be set at the desired radius lrelatively to the axis of the pivot pin 89, cor' esponding to the curvature t-o be cut upon the peripheral surface 55 ofthe grinding wheel 54. This radius may be accurately set in any conventional manner, such as by suitable gauges (not shown) known to those skilled in the grinding art.

Bolted as at |02 to the recess |03 in the underside 86 of the dove-tail slide 85 is a nut |04 which receives the threaded end |05 (Figure 2) of the screw shaft |06, the latter being journaled in the bore |01 of the bridge portion '|08 (Figure 1). A hand wheel |09 is mounted upon the reduced diameter portion ||0 of the screw shaft |06. By rotating the hand wheel |09, the dove-tail slide 85 may be moved to and fro along its guide members 84, thereby moving the head 90 and consequently the truing wheel |00 into or out of engagement with the peripheral grinding surface 55 of the grinding wheel 54.

Rolle: feeding unit vhap-hazardly, either the small end or the large end down, through a suitable selecting mechanism which engages the rollers I I I and drops them, small end downward, into a delivery tube I |2, the

`lower end of which is supported b-y a bracket ||3 bolted as at |I4 (Figures 2 and 10) to an arm I'|5 y which is bolted as at I I6V to the roller holding and driving unit I2. 'Ihe arm II5 is preferably of angle cross-section (Figure 1) and is provided with a ange ||1 with spaced holes ||8 for receiving the bolts 4 at the proper location.

Roller holding and driving unit Rising from the bed 0 (Figure 3) are Aupstand- V ing side walls |20 and |2| supporting platforms |22 and |23 respectively, the latter being slightly higher than the former. The top surface |24 of the platform |23 has secured thereon as at |24a a base member |25 having a bottom surface |26. The platform |23 and base member |25 are provided with aligned vertical bores |21 and |28 serving to receive a pivot pin |29 around which the base plate |25 swivels. The platform |23 is provided with an additional vertical bore |30 carrying a stop pin |3| (Figure 4). The base member 25 is provided with a central cavity |32 considerably larger than the stop pin |3| which is located therein so as to provide a sufficient lateral movement of the base plate |25.

Opening into the cavity |32 on opposite sides of the stop pin |3| are horizontal aligned bores |33 adapted to receive the reduced diameter extensions |34 of adjusting screws |35, the heads of which are threaded into the threaded enlargements |36 at the outer ends of the bores |33. A s a consequence of this construction, the adjusting screws |35 may be turned to precisely swivel the base plate |25 around the pivot pin |29 for alter' ing the alignment of a certain shaft mounted thereon as will be described below.

The base plate |25 is provided with upstanding dove-tail ribs |31 which are engaged by the dovetail groove |38 in the base portion |39 of a slide |40. The ribs |31 are joined at the outer ends by a bridge portion |4| (Figure 3) having a horizontal bore |42 opening into a cavity |43 between the ribs |31. Journaled in the bore |42 is the reduced diameter portion |44 of a screw-shaft |45, having a hand wheel |46 mounted thereon, as at |41. The inner end of the screw shaftl |45 is threaded as at |48 and engages a nut |49 having an upwardly extending stem |50 secured in the socket as by the screw |52, the socket |5| being formed in the bottom of the slide |40.

The slide |40.is provided with an upstanding generally horizontal boss |53 having horizontally aligned bores |54 and |55 (Figure 3) opening into the central cavity |56. Journaled in the bores |54 and |55 is the pressure wheel shaft |51 having at its outer end a reduced diameter threaded portion |58 carrying a retaining nut |59 and washer |60. An end plate |6| secured as at |62 to the boss |53 covers the outer end of the shaft |51, together with the retaining nut |59, these being located in the outer end cavity |63 of the boss |53.

The boss |53 is also provided with an enlarged inner end cavity |64 (Figure 3) receiving the enlarged end |65 of the shaft |51. Secured as at |66 to the end |65 is the disc-like pressure wheel |61 having a thin resilient spring rim |68 secured as at |69 to the rim portion |10 thereof and having a tapered lateral annular surface |1| corresponding to the taper of the roller As a consequence of this construction, the pressure wheel |61 may be moved in o r out by rotating the hand wheel |46, or tilted in a lateral direction by adjusting the screws |35.

Mounted on the platform |22 of the bed |0 (Figure3) is the base portion |12 of a housing |13 having a pair of aligned horizontal bores |14 and |15 opening into a cavity|16.` Journaled in the bores |14 and |15 is the hollow shaft |11 which in turn is provided with co-axial aligned bores |18 and.|19 opening into a cavity |80.

Journaled in thc bores |18 and |19 is the roller holder shaft |8| having an enlarged portion |82 to which is secured the disc-like roller holder |83 as by the screw |84. The periphery of the roller holder |83 is provided with spaced recesses |85 (Figures and 11) for receiving the rollers and conveying them from the feeding device to the grinding wheel 54 and thence to the discharging station. The hollow shaft |11 is likewise provided with an enlarged end |86 to which the driving wheel |81 is secured, as by the screws |88. The driving wheel |81 is provided with a lateral annular projecting portion |89 having a lateral tapered surface |90 corresponding to the taper of the roller and with the tapered surface |1| of the pressure wheel |61 forming an outwardly ared annular space partially occupied by the roller holdei` |83.

The roller holder |83 and the driving wheel |81 are drivingly interconnected by gearing as described below, this gearing being driven by a motor |9| having a base plate |92 secured to a swinging plate |93 (Figures 1 and 2). The latter is provided with ears |94 engaging a pivot pin |95 carried by a bracket |96 bolted as at |91 to the top-of the housing |13 (Figure '1) The opposite end of the swinging plate |93 is provided with an adjusting screw |98 threaded therethrough (Figure 2). The lower end of the adjusting screw |98 engages the housing |13 so that by turning the screw |98. the plate |93 may be swung around its pivot pin |95, thereby moving the motor |9| toward or away from the housing |13 for belt tightening purposes. The lock nut |99 serves to hold the adjusting screw |98 in itsadjusted position.

The motor |9| (Figure '2) is provided with a shaft 200 carrying a pulley 20| driving an endless belt 202 which in .turn drives s. pulley 203 (Figures 1,-'1 and 8) mounted upon a shaft 204. The shaft 204 is journaled in the aligned bores 205 and 206 in the interconnecting portion 201 (Figure 8) between the side walls 209 and 2|6 of the housing |13. (The view shown in Figure 8, is as previously stated, a developed view wherein the various shafts are laid out so as to lie substantially in one plane instead of their actual ar-l rangement shown in Figure 7.) The inner end of the shaft 204 is held in place by the retaining nut 2|I threaded upon the end thereof, the cavity in which it is located being closed by the cover plate 2|2.

Mounted upon and keyed to the shaft 204 is a hub 2|3 provided with pinions 2|4 and 2|5. The pinion 2|5 meshes with a gear 2|6 keyed to the hollow shaft |11.(Figures 3, 7 and 8), the gear 2|6 being held in place by a retaining nut 2|1 threaded upon the outer end of the hollow shaft |11. In this manner, the drive from the motor |9| is communicated to the driving wheel |81, which rotates at a much more rapid speed than the roller holder |83, which ls connected thereto by reduction gearing as follows.

The pinion 2|4 drives a gear 2 I8 which is mounted upon and keyed to the hub of the pinion 2|9, the pinion 2|9 being in turn loosely mounted upon the stub shaft 220, the latter being fixedly scured in the bore 2|| in the housing wall 209 (Figure 8). The pinion 2|9 in turn drives the gear 222, the hub of which carries a pinion 223 driving a gear 224. The hub of the gear 222 and pinion 223 is loosely mounted upon the stub shaft 225 xedly secured in the bore 226 in the housing wall 209. Similarly, the hub of the gear 224 is loosely mounted upon the stub shaft 221 fixedly secured in the bore 2 28 in the housing wall 209. Mounted upon and keyed to the hub of the gear 224 is a pinion 229 which meshes with a gear 230 mounted upon and keyed to the hub of a pinion 23|. The latter is loosely mounted upon the stub shaft 232 xedly secured in the bore 233 in the housing wall 209 and meshes with a gear 234 mounted upon and keyed to the roller holder 60 shaft |8|, it being held in place by a retaining nut 235 (Figure 3) threaded upon the outer end thereof. In this manner, the roller holder |83 is driven at a relatively slow speed compared with the driving wheel |81, the pressure wheel |61 not being driven, but freely rotatable in its bearings.

Mounted upon the upper part of the housing |13 and secured thereto as at 236 is a T-bracket 231, the cross bar of which has secured thereto, as at 238. the upper roller guide 239, slots 240 being provided for adjusting purposes (Figure 10). The roller guide 239 is provided with an arcuate guide surface 24| closely following the peripheral surface 242 of the roller holder |83 from the top of the latter downwardly to the grinding wneel 54. Beneath the grinding wheel 58 is mounted the lower roller guide 243 having a similar arcuate guide surface 2M. The lower roller guide 263 is secured as at 245 to a slide 246 reciprocable in guideways 261 (Figure 2) and having a hollowcavity 268 terminating in a threaded bore 263. Threaded into the threaded bore 249 is the threaded end 250 of a screw shaft 25|, the outer end of which is journaled as at 252 in the bracket 253 secured to and depending from the lip 22 of the bed I0. Secured to the outer end of the screw shaft 25| is a hand wheel 254. By turning the hand wheel 256 in one direction or the other, the screw shaft 25|, by its engagement with the threaded bore 269, causes the slide 255 to reciprocate in the guideways 261 (Figure 2) moving the arcuate guide surface 286 of the lower roller guide 263 toward or away from the peripheral surface 262 of the roller holder 183.

Immediately below the lower end of the lower roller guide 263 is mounted a deiiector plate 255 suspended from the bed I8 by the brackets 256. The delector plate 255 serves to receive the impact of the ground rollers lll as they drop from the recesses |85 in the roller holder |83 and deflect them into a suitable container (not shown).

Operation A roller lil, before grinding by the present machine, is shown in Figure 13 with its large end comparatively flat. After grinding in the present machine, the roller l l emerges with a curved surface 251 upon the end thereof, this being for the purpose of engaging the outer race of the tapered roller bearing unit in which the roller lll is employed. Prior to operating the machine, the various adjustments previously described are made, such as the positioning of the upper and lower roller guides 239 and 263, the tilting of the shaft 51 of the pressure wheel |61, and the locating of the grinding wheel 56.

The unnished rollers lll are placed in the hopper (not shown) of the feeding unit Il at the upper left-hand corners of Figures 2 and 10, the

motors 19H and 55 are started in operation, and

the coolant, such as water, is caused to ow upon the grinding wheel 56. When thus driven, the roller holder |23 is caused to rotate slowly, the

, driving Wheel l 81 to rotate rapidly and the grinding wheel 555 to rotate still more rapidly. The selector mechanism of the feeding 'unit ll, as

previously'stated, causes the rollers lll to descend through the feeding tube H2 with their smaller ends downward, regardless of their positions in the hopper, and these rollers drop into the recess E35 in the roller holder |83 as the latei rotates slowly beneath the outlet of the tube The tilting of the pressure wheel shaft |51, as shown by the arrows in Figure 9, causes the space between the pressure wheel |61 at its rim portion |68 and the driving surface |90 of the driving wheel |81 to be wider than the Width of the roller l at the side thereof diametrically opposite the grinding wheel 56, and this space is still amply wide to permit the roller to drop therebetween into a recess |85 below the outlet of the feeding tube ll2 (Figure 10). The rollers Ill drop one by one into the recesses |85 to which they are fed by the feeding unit Il by proper timing. As the gap between the pressure wheel rim 68 and the driving wheel rim |89 closes up, due to the previously mentioned relative tilting of the shafts thereof, the side of the roller is engaged by the rapidly rotating pressure wheel I 81 toward which it is urged by the resilient rim |68 of the pressure wheel |61. This action not only rotates the roller III and causes it to be moved against the forward edge of the recess |85 but the squeezing action between the opposing surfaces |90 and |1| of the driving wheel |81 and the pressure wheel |81 moves the rollers Il I outwardly until they engage the arcuate guide surface 26| of the upper roller guide 256 (Figure 10). Meanwhile. the pressure wheel is rotated in the opposite direction to the driving wheel |81 through its frlctional engagement with the opposite sides of the rollers lll (Figure 11).

When the rollers thus held and rotated while being guided by the upper guide 239 (Figure 12), reach the lower end of the upper roller guide 239, their ends engage the curved periphery 55 of the grinding wh'eel 58, which meanwhile is rotating rapidly upon an axis perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the driving wheel |81 and roller holder 183. As the ends of the rollers are moved across the face of the grinding wheel 56 (Figure 6), they are ground ,to the curvature thereof and their large ends become curved as at 251 in Figure 14. When the rollers have been moved entirely across the grinding wheel 55, they immediately encounter the arcuate edge 244 of the lower roller guide 263 and continue in engagement therewith until the lowerend thereof. At this point, the rollers ||I drop out of the recesses |85 and fall by gravity into engagement with the deector plate 256 which guides them into a suitable container. It will be self-evident that the resilient pressure wheel rim |68 automatically takes care of variations in the diameter of the rolls arising during manufacture, between the tolerance limits for a given size of roll. If the rim 168 were rigid and unyielding, oversized rolls would be thrust forward too fai'. and their ends ground olf too much, whereas undersized rolls would be permitted to be pushed backward too far and their ends thus ground olf too little. The ilexible rim |68 overcomes'this and gives proper grindingof the ends of the rolls by yielding with oversized rolls and thrusting undersized rolls forward.

Modiyied machine with both wheels positively driven 'I'he modification in Figures 15 to 18 inclusive is generally similar in'principle to the foregoing form of the invention except that the driving wheel and pressure wheel are both positively driven and the roller holder is mounted for free rotation between them. The grinding unit i3 and the grinding wheel truing unit I l in this modification remain substantially unchanged in construction from the corresponding units in the previously described form of the invention.

In particular, the bed I0 is provided with an auxiliary motor 260 (Figure 15) having its base plate 26| bolted to the underside thereof. The auxiliary motor 260 is provided with a motor shaft 262 carrying a pulley 263 which drives a V-belt 264. 'I'he latter in turn drives a pulley 265 mounted upon one end of a cross-shaft 266 supported in spaced bearing brackets 261 bolted to the opposite upper surfaces of the bed I0. Mounted upon one end of the shaft 2,66 near the pulley 265 and secured thereto as at 268 is a pinion 269 meshing with a, gear 210 keyed to the pressure wheel shaft 21|. The latter is rotatably mounted in the bearing bracket 212 bolted to the bed Il.

Keyed to the shaft 21| on the opposite sides of the bearing bracket 212 (Figure 16) is the hub 213 of the pressure wheel 214, the latter having an inwardly directed peripheral flange 215, the edge 218 of which is tapered outwardly for engagement with the tapered sides of the rollers Beyond the hub 213 the shaft 21| is provided with an annular shoulder 211 and at its inner end is provided with a retaining washer 218 bolted thereto as at 219.

Mounted for free rotation upon the shaft 21| between the shoulder 211 and wasler 218 is the hub 280 of the roller holder 28|, the periphery of which is, as before. provided with spaced recesses 282 (Figures 15 and 18) for receiving the rollers |l| and conveying them from the feeding device Il to the grinding wheel 54 and thence to the discharging station.

Mounted on the opposite end of the shaft 268 from the pulley 265 and secured thereto as at 283 is a pinion 284 of smaller pitch diameter and consequently with a lesser number of teeth than the pinion 269. The pinion 284 (Figure 17) meshes with an idler pinion 285 freely and rotatably mounted upon the stub shaft 286 mounted in the bearing bracket 261 and secured thereto as at 281.

The idler iijinion 285 meshes with a gear 288 keyed to the outer end of a shaft 289 which is iournaled in the bearing bracket 290 bolted to the bed i substantially opposite the bearing bracket 212. Keyed to the inner end of the shaft 289 is the hub 29| of the driving wheel 292, the periphery of which is provided with an inwardly directed flange 293 having an outwardly tapered edge 294 for engagement with the tapered sides of the rollers I I diametrically opposite from their engagement by the tapered edge 216 of the pressure wheel 214.

Bolted as at 295 and 296 to the flat surfaces 291 and 298 of the bearing brackets 212 are radial angle brackets 299 and 300 (Figure 15) bent so that their outer ends 30| and 302 overhang the periphery of the roller holder 28|. Connected as at 304 and 305 to the ends 30| and 302 and extending concentric with and spaced slightly away from the periphery 303 of the roller holder 28|, the upper roller guide 306 extends downwardly to a point immediately adjacent the upper side of the grinding wheel 54. Bolted as at 308 to the bed I0 is a bracket 309 carrying a lower roller guide 3|0 having an arcuate guide surface 3|| similar to the guide surface 301 of the upper roller bracket 306 and extending from a point immediately below the lower side of the grinding wheel 54 downwardly to the discharge station in a manner similar to that already described in connection with the principal form of the invention. The shafts 21| and 289 are also preferably tilted slightly relatively to one another in a horizontal plane as in the principal form of the invention for the same purpose and with the same result of urging the roller outwardly as it is carried in the roller holder 28 In Figure- 16, the shafts 21| and 289 and the hub 280 of the roller holder 28| have been shown, for purposes of simplicity and clarity, as journaled in plain or 'sleeve bearings. In the machine as actually built, however, tapered roller bearings were employed because of their greater precision and means for taking up the clearances thereof and thereby to provide and maintain predetermined -precise clearances.

Operation of the modified machine Figures 15 to 18 inclusive, the gear ratios are such that the shaft 21| is rotated more rapidly than the shaft 289. As a consequence (Figure 18), when the auxiliary motor is energized and commences rotation, the pressure wheel 214 is driven in a clockwise direction (Figure 15) at a somewhat faster rate than the driving wheel 292 is driven in a counterclockwise direction. It will be evident, of course, that the terms pressure wheel and "driving wheel are chosen merely to conform to the terminology employed in describing the principal form of the invention, whereas both wheels might equally well be termed driving wheels or pressure wheels since both are driven and both apply pressure to the rollers Ill. The rollers are fed one at a time into the recesses 282 of the roller holder 28| from the feeding unit il (Figure 15) in the same manner asdescribed above in connection with the principal form of the invention. and are engaged by the tapered edges 294 ofthe wheels 292 and 214. Since the wheel 214 is rotating clockwise more rapidly than the wheel 292 is rotating counterclockwise (F28- ures 15 and 18), the rollers are not only urged against the forward walls of the recesses 282 but the dierential motion between the wheels 214 and 292 imparts a resultant clockwise rotation to the roller holder 28|, as the rollers are rotated in a counterclockwise direction, viewed from above. In this manner, the rollers III are carried forward until their large ends 251 engage the guide surface 301 of the upper roller guide 306, at the same time being urged outwardly by the pressure exerted by thc tapered surfaces 216 and 294 of the wheels 214 and 292, and by the eiect of the slight tilt of the axes of the shafts 21| and 289 as described in connection with the operation of the principal form of the invention.

When the rollers III arrive opposite the grinding surface 55 of the grinding wheel 54, their ends 251 are ground to a curvature corresponding to the cross curvature thereof. As the rollers emerge from engagement with the driving wheel 54, their ends 251 immediately engage the guide surface 3|| of the lower roller guide 3|0 and remain in engagement therewith until they reach the lower end thereof, whereupon they drop out in a manner similar to that shown in Figure 10, and encounter the deflector plate 255 (Figure 9) and thence fall into a suitable container (not shown).

While I have shown and described my invention in detail, it is to be understood that the same is to be limited only by the appended claims, for many changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim is:

1. A machine for end-grinding elongated articles comprising a. rotary grinder, a rotary article holder thinner than said articles and having peripheral article holding recesses open laterally to expose the sides of said articles. said rotary article holder being positioned to move the endsv of said articles across said grinder, means eneageable with the exposed sides of said articles for rotating said articles around their longitudinal axes while being moved across said grinder, and means for urging said articles outwardly of said holder while so rotating them.

2. A machine for end-grinding 'elongated articles comprising a rotary grinder. a rotary article holder thinner than said articles and having peripheral article holding recesses open laterally In the operation of the modification shown in to expose the sides of said articles, said rotary article holder being positioned to move the ends of said articles across said grinder, a rotary driving element mounted on one side of said article holder and engageable with the exposed sides of said articles for rotating said articles around their longitudinal axes while being moved across said grinder, a rot:r ry pressuremember mounted on the other side of said article holder and engaging the opposite sides of said articles for urging them into engagement with said driving element, a power source, and power-transmitting mechanism drivingly and rotatively connecting said rotary holder and said rotary driving element to said power source.

3. A machine for end-grinding elongated articles comprising a rotary grinder, a rotary article holder thinner than said articles and having peripheral article holding recesses open laterally to expose the sides of said articles, said rotary article holder being positioned to move the ends of said articles across said grinder, a rotary driving element mounted on one side of said article holder and engageable with the exposed sides of said articles for rotating said articles around their longitudinal axes while being moved across said grinder, a rotary resilient pressure member mounted on the other side of said article holder and engaging theopposite sides of said articles -for urging them into engagement with said driving element, a power source, and power-transmitting mechanism drivingly and rotatively connecting said rotary holder and said rotary driving element to said power source.

4. A machine for end-grinding tapered rollers comprising a rotary grinder, a rotary roller holder positioned to move the ends of said rollers across said grinder and having peripheral recesses for receiving said rollers, said recesses being open laterally to expose the sides of said rollers, a rotary driving element mounted on one side of said roller holder and engageable with said exposed sides for rotating said rollers while being moved across said grinder, a rotary pressure member mounted on the other side of said article holder and urging said rollers into driven engagement with said driving element, said rotary grinder being mounted for rotation upon an axis transverse to the axes of rotation of said roller holder, said driving element and said pressure member, a power source and power-transmitting mechanism driving and rotatively connecting said rotary holder and said rotary driving element t said power source.

5. A machine for end-grinding tapered rollers comprising a rotary grinder, a rotary roller holder positioned to move the ends of said rollers across said grinder and having peripheral recesses for receiving said rollers, said recesses being open laterally to expose the sides of said rollers, a rotary driving element engageable with said exposed sides for rotating said rollers while being moved across said grinder, a power source, and power-transmitting mechanism drivingly and rotatively connecting said rotary holder and said rotary driving element to said power source, said mechanism being proportioned and arranged to rotate said driving element more rapidly than said holder whereby to urge said rollers against the forward edges of said recesses while being moved into engagement with said grinder.

6. A machine for end-grinding tapered rollers comprising a rotary grinder, a rotary roller holder positioned to move the ends of said rollers across said grinder and having peripheral recesses for receiving said rollers, said recesses being open laterally to expose the sides of said rollers, a rotary driving element mounted on one side of said roller holder and engageable with said exposed roller sides for rotating said rollers while being moved across said grinder, a rotary pressure member with a resilient roller-engaging rim mounted on' the other side of said roller holder and engaging the opposite sides of said rollers for urging 4'said rollers into engagement with said driving element, a power source, and power-transmitting mechanism drivingly and rotatively connecting said rotary holder and said rotary driving element to said power source.

7. A machine for end-grinding tapered rollers comprising a rotary grinder, a rotary roller holder positioned to move the ends of said rollers across said grinder and having peripheral recesses for receiving said rollers, said recesses being open laterally to expose the sides of said rol1ers,va rotary driving element engageable with said exposed sides for rotating said rollers while being moved across said grinder, and a rotary pressure member engaging the opposite sides ofsaid rol1- ers for urging said rollers into engagement with said driving element, said driving element and said pressure member having outwardly flared roller contacting surfaces whereby to urge said rollers outwardly of said recesses during the rotation of said holder.

8. A machine for end-grinding tapered rollers comprising a rotary grinder, a rotary roller holder positioned to move the ends of said rollers across said grinder and having peripheral recesses for receiving said rollers, said recesses being open laterally to expose the sides of said rollers, a rotary driving element engageable with said exposed sides for rotating said rollers while being moved across said grinder, a rotary pressure member engaging the opposite sides of said rollers for urging said rollers into engagement with said driving element, and means for tilting the axis of rotation of said pressure member relatively to the axis of rotation of said holder whereby to provide a space wider than said rollers remote from said grinder for receiving said rollers and also to urge said rollers outwardly of said recesses during the rotation of said holder.

9. A machine for end-grinding tapered rollers comprising a rotary g rotary roller holder positioned to mov-e the or said rollers across said grinder and having peripheral recesses for receiving said rollers. said recesses being open laterally to expose the sides of said rollers, a rotary driving element engageable with said exposed sides for rotating said rollers While being moved across said grinder. and a rotary pressure member engaging the opposite sides of said rollers for urging said rollers into engagement with said driving element, said driving element and said pressure member having outwardly flared roller contacting surfaces, and vsaid pressure member having-its axis of rotation tilted forwardly relatively to the axis of rotation of said holder whereby to provide a space wider than said rollers remote from said grinder for receiving said rollers and also to urge said rollers outwardly of said recesses during the rotation of said holder. s

10. A machine for end-grinding tapered rollers comprising a rotary grinder, a rotary roller holding Wheel positioned to move the ends of said rollers across said grinder and having peripheral recesses for receiving said rollers, said recesses being open laterally to expose the sides of said rollers, a rotary driving wheel engage-able with said exposed sides for rotating said rollers while being moved across said grinder, and a rotary pressure wheel mounted on the opposite side of said roller holding wheel from said driving Wheel and also engaging the exposed sides of said rollers, and mechanism for positively driving at least two of said wheels.

l1. A machine for end grinding elongated articles comprising a rotary grinder, a rotary article holder positioned to move the ends of said articles across said grinder, rotary driving elements disposed on opposite sides of said article holder in driving engagement with the opposite sides of said articles, and means for driving said driving elements in opposite directions at different peripheral speeds rotation to said rotary article holder.

l2. A machine for end grinding elongated articles comprising a rotary grinder, a rotary article holder mounted for free rotation and positioned to move the ends of said articles across said grinder, rotary driving elements disposed on opposite sides of said article holder in driving engagement with the opposite sides of said articles,

and means for driving said driving elements in whereby to impart a. resultant opposite directions at different peripheral speeds whereby to impart a resultant rotation to said rotary article holder.

13. A machine for end grinding elongated articles comprising a rotary grinder, a rotary article holder mounted for free rotation and positioned to move the ends of said articles across said grinder, rotary driving elements disposed on opposite sides of said article holder in driving engagement with the opposite sides of said articles, and means for driving said driving elements in opposite directions at different peripheral speeds whereby to impart a resultant rotation to said rotary article holder, said article holder having spaced peripheral recesses therein for receiving and holding said articles.

14. A machine for end grinding elongated articles comprising a rotary grinder, a rotary article holder mounted for free rotation and positioned to move the ends of said articles across said grinder, rotary driving elements disposed on opposite sides of said article holder in driving engagement with the opposite sides of said articles, and means for driving said driving elements in opposite directions at different peripheral speeds whereby-to impart a resultant rotation to said rotary article holder, said article holder having spaced peripheral recesses open at the opposite sides thereof to expose the sides of said articles to engagement by said rotary driving elements.

15. A machine for end grinding elongated articles comprising a rotary grinder, a rotary article holder mounted for free rotation and positioned to move the ends of said articles across said grinder, rotary driving elements disposed on opposite sides .of said article holder in driving engagement with the opposite sides of said articles. and means for driving said driving elements in opposite directions at different peripheral speeds whereby to impart a resultant rotation to said rotary article holder, said article holder having spaced peripheral recesses therein for receiving and holding said articles, said rotary driving elements having oppositely and outwardly ared article contacting surfaces whereby to urge said rollers outwardly ofsaid recesses during the rotation of said article holder.

GLEN F. JOHNSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the ille of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 891,992 Hess June 30, 1908 1,128,091 Barnes Feb, 9, 1915 1,298,486 Fjellman Mar. 25, 1919 2,024,118 Vanderbeek Dec. 10, 1935 2,109,600 Vanderbeek Mar. 1, 1938 2,211,350 Osborn Aug. 13, 1940 2,341,825 Spicacci Feb. 15, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 618,962 Germany Sept. 19, 1935 

